Clamp truck



o. NORLING CLAMP TRUCK Jan. 31, 1933.

Filed March 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwwnto c Oscar Jan. 31, 1933. NORLNG I I 1,895,640

CLAMP TRUCK Filed March 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented Jan. 31, 19 3 3 OSCAR NORLING, 0F TACOMA, VIASHITTGTOIT CLAMP annex Application filed March 25; 1932. Serial No. 601,143;

My invention relates to wheeled hand trucks adapted for use in warehouses, and other places, for the handling of merchandise, especially when packaged, and has special Y reference to trucks which engage theload under its ends, and which are adjustable to engage any loads, independent of their width, within the capacity of the truck. 1

The objects of my invention are .to provide :means whereby a very large degree of adjustability of the lifting spurs may be had; improved means for attaching the two lifting arms together whereby they are given complementary motion; foot-operated means 4 for actuating said connecting means whereby said lifting arms are moved; swivel means in said foot-operated means whereby said load lifting arms may be moved in either direction thereby; means for locking said load-lifting arms against spreading when in use; means for disengaging said locking means when the truck is in position for releasing or receiving a load; and adjustable means for causing a load to tip back on to the truck when the truck is tipped backward for transporting the load. I

I attain these and other objects by the devices, mechanisms, and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved hand truck, showing the lifting spurs extended laterally to their extreme outward positions; Fig. 2 is a partial similar View with the spurs retracted to their extreme inward positions; Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof; showing the load in broken lines to illustrate the action of the load hook; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the front plate of the truck, showing the slides carried thereby and the chain connecting the slides together; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a portion of the central bar of the truck, showing the load hook hung in inoperative position thereon; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the lower end of thetruck, parts thereof being removed or broken away to reveal the construction and ope-ration of the parts thereof, the locking means being shown in inoperative position; Fig. 7 is a vertical section thereof; Figs. Sand 9 are side views of the automatic lock in operation.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several vlews.

My improved hand truck. comprises a frame formed of two sidebars 1, forming the handles thereof, joined together at their upper ends by a cross bar 2, and at their lower ends by the carrier plate. A central bar 8 extends from the carrier" plate to the 601? cross bar 2 between the two said handle or outside bars 1. The carrier plate is provided with a pair of brackets4 carrying a a horizontal axle 5, extending across the truck and positioned a short distance to the rear of the carrier plate. The axle 5 is provided with two truck wheels 6rotatably mounted thereon but prevented fromlateral motion along the axle. I j a The carrier plate is divided into three sections 7, 8 and 9 by means of twoparallel undercut slots 10 and 11 :.Plates 12, 13. and 14 are securedto the rear side of the plates 7, Sand 9 and are separated by two narrower; slots 15' and 16. A carrier slide 1 7 is mounted in the upperslot 410 and is adaptedto move laterally across the" trucktherein. This. car-1 rier slide 17 has an arm 18 extending forward from the extreme outer end thereof,

- lower slot 11 and is adapted to move laterally therein, and carries an arm 21 extending for-1 ward through the slot 11 from the extreme outer end thereof, andthen passing down; ward to the level of the floor and is provided at its endwith a spur 22 complementary to thespur 19. The slides 17 and 20 are secured to each other through the medium of an endless sprocket chain 23 which is mounted on two wheels 24 mounted on the rear side of the carrier plate. The upper and lower parts of the sprocket chain 23 lie parallel with and opposite to the two-above-described slots 15 and l6.- A bolt or pin 25secures each of the-slides 17 and'20 to the chain,at

V complementary parts thereof, by having a:

portion thereof formingthe rivet between the links of the chain, and this pin 25 passes through the slot or 16.- Thus, when the 1 chain is moved in either direction, it moves the upper slideili" in one direction and the lower slide in equal degree in the opposite direction. The pinsare secured to the said slides 17 and 20 at points closely adjacent their eXtreme'inner ends. These pins 25 cantravel a distance equal to the distance between the centers of the-wheels 24, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,' and thereforethe ment is: twice the said distance.

load arms'l8 and 21 move an equalextent in each direction and the range of their nove- V .i Referring, now, particularly to Figs. 6-9 1 wherein the means for operating and locking I plate and is providedwith a vertically and the chain 23 are illustrated- Aplate 26extends across the -truck,i*above the carrying centrally positioned guide lug'27 extending from its rear face, the side edges ofjsaid lug being curved on the-arcs o'f'two' circlescen ter'edi in the following described ratchet fulcrums 28 and 29. The right-hand fulcrum 28' mounts a bell-crank lever 30, one arm of 1 which extends adjacent the right-hand curved edge of the above-described guide lug 27, and is provided atits outer lowercorner with a; notch 31, adapted to receive the ballshaped head ofthe operating lever. The fotheri'armt of tlie'lever -ii0 "is 'pivotally. at-

i as:

tached to an operating pawl 32'whose lower surface is adapted to contact with the upper part of the chain23,- andis provided with a V series of notches 33 adaptedto engage contiguous links thereof to actuat'evthem. The pawl 82 extends; from the end of the lever towards the center of'the truck and, as illustrated in the -drawings is adapted to move the chain to draw the loadarins lsand 21 towards eachother. The" other fulcrum 29' is similarly positioned on the other side of the guide ,lug 27' and carr'ies asimilar but oppositely formed bell-crank lever 34, notched at 85fand carrying a pawl 36, pro; videdwith hain-engagingnotches 37, and

i I is adapted to engage and operate the chain in the opposite direction to move the load arms laterally outwardly. When the said levers 3O and 34 are in inoperative positions the pawls 32 and 36 are drawn outward and their lower edges'engage the stops 38 and are raised thereby out of engagement with the r chain 23. 5The'abov-describedaxle'li is pro- 1 vided withva central boss 39 on which the mounted in such manner that'it may freely fulcrum post 40 of the pedal mechanism isswivel thereon- The post;40 carries a foot 2 lever 41 pivoted to its "upper end. 1 This lever 41'is' provided-with a foot plate 42, atits rear 1 end,-i and with a ball-shaped head 43 at its forward-end A spring :44, mounted-between the foot-lever 41'and the post 40 always tends ving down on the plate to pull the head down into inoperative P08111011: The head 43, when in this inopera: tive position, may be swung in either direcupward along the left side of the fixed lug 27, by whichit is-held- 'in the notch 35. By reciprocating the foot lever 41., the chain23 'ii's mo'ved'to separate the load arms 18 and 21'. Similarly, by moving the foot plate 42 to+ wards the left, the head 43 passes under the lug 27-and enters the notch 31 ofthe lever 30, and thelever 30 may be actuated to move the chain'23 to draw the load arms 18and 21.

towards each other;

A plurality ofjlocking dogs 45 are loosely mounted in a frame 46. Each of these dogs 2 a 45 comprises an inverted-L-shaped body 42, the head 43 moves whose upper end extends rearward, from I above thefra ne46 and whose IOWQPGIITITX1 tends downwardly. j These lower. ends are" positioned to drop betweenthe side bars of. the chain links and to engage the cross bars 21 towards eachother but to engage thecross members of the-chain with their vertical faces to prevent it from beingmoved in the 2 thereof These dogs 45 are bevelled: on their; .lower ends to permit the chain to move in the'direction to draw the load arms18 and opposite direction. WA plurality of these dOg$Q are" provided so. that only a 'veryfsinall out warden-spreading movement of the arms 18, and'21 is'permitted,in spite of theffactthat the links of the chain are of comparatively. j

large size. dogs 45 toforce them downward into contact with-thechain. 'H'owever, whentherejis no' I w load on the truck, it is desirable to movethe load'arins. apart in order to gr p the new Springs 47 engage, theseveral' I load, and thereforel haveprovided 311'1111- locking bar 48 which-is vertically slidably mounted on the truck [and is adapted toengage the floor when the truck-is tipped forward into loading or unloading position (Figs. 3 and 6). This bar 48 is bent to pass under the rearward extending upper ends of M all the dogs 45 and to engage and lift them when its lower end is supported th floon; but to permit them to drop from such raised positioninto locking contact with the chain as soon as the truck is tipped backward'to' raise the end of-tlie bar 48 off the floor-and to" transport the truck ,on its wheels 6'.

i 1'25 1 Referring now to Figs. 1, 3, and 5,'itwill be seen that'the central bar 3: of the.tr'-..il.cl is v provided with aloose collar '49 carrying a bifurcated lug 50 to' whicha bar 51 is pivotally secured. This bar51. carries a sleeve 52 secured to its end, through which the extensible bar 53 passes. The bar 51 is provided with a slot 54 having teeth 55 in its lower side. The extension bar 53 is provided with an operating handle 56 which passes through the slot 54 and is adapted to engage any of the teeth 55 therein to hold it against further extension. The outer end of the bar 53 is provided with two prongs 57 adapted to engage over the outer edge of the package being handled. A pin 58 extends from the rear side of the bar 3 and the'collar 49 is provided with a suitable slot and notch 59 adapted to receive the said pin'58 and thus to hold the collar 49 in its uppermost position when the whole apparatus has been turned to lie on the rear side of the truck in its inoperative position. As soon as it is to be used the collar 49 is disengaged from the pin 58 and is turned to bring the bars 51 and 53 on the front side of the truck and they are then lifted to pass over the package. The handle 56 is disengaged from the teeth 55 and the outer bar 53 is slid through the sleeve 52 to bring the prongs 57 into contact with the edge of the package,the handle 56 is then pushed I down into engagement with the teeth and the package is thus-secured in place against tipping in handling.

It is to be understood'that I do not wish to confine myself to the particular parts shown in the drawings and described in the above specification, but that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as outlined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a clamp truck, the combination of a carrying plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other; carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downward from the outer ends of said carrier slides, and adapted to engage the ends of the load to be lifted; and means for operating said carrier slides, said means being attached to each said carrier slide and adapted to permit the connections with the carrier slides to pass each other. i I

2. In a clamp truck, the combination of a carrying plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other; carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward anddownward from the outer ends of said carrier slides and adapted to engage the ends of the load to be lifted; and means for operating said carrier slides, said means being adapted to move each carrier slide substantially the entire width of the truck.

3. In a clamp truck, the combination of a carrying plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other;

carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downwardfr'om the outer ends of said carrier slides, and

adapted to engage the ends of the load to be lifted; means for operatlng said: carrler slides; and means, engaging said operating means, and adapted to-lock it against outward movement of said carrier arm's. l I '4. In a clamp truck, the combination'of a carrying plate having two-parallel grooves extending across itsfaoe, one above the other; carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downwardfrom the outer ends of said carrier slides, and

whereby said locking means is rendered in operative when the truck is in inoperative position.

5. In a clamp truck, the combination of a carrying, plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other; carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downward from the outer ends of said carrier slides, and adapted to engage the ends of the load to be lifted; an endless linked chain mounted on said truck and lying parallel with and adjacent to said carrier slides; means attaching two opposite points in said endless chain to the inner ends of said carrier slides; and means adapted to actuate said chain to move said oarrierslides.

6. In a clamp truck, the combination of. a I carrying plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other;

carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downward from the outer ends of said carrier slides, and adapted to engage the ends of the load to be lifted; an endless linked chain mounted on said truck and lying parallel with and ad-, jacent to said carrier slides; means attaching two opposite points in said endless chain to the inner ends of said carrier slides; and ratchet means engaging the links of said chain to actuate the chain in one direction.

7. In a clamp truck,the combination of a carrying plate having two parallel grooves extending across its face, one above the other; carrier slides mounted in said grooves; load arms extending forward and downward from g the outer ends of said carrier slides, and adapted to engage the ends of the'load to be lifted; an endless linked chain mounted on the truck and lying parallel with and adjacent to said carrier slides; means attaching two opposite points in said endless chain to the inner ends of said carrier slides; Y

a pair of oppositely acting ratchet means,

v each engaging the links of said chain to V actuate the chain in opposite directions and a selective pedal means adapted to engage and actuate eitherof said ratchet means. 8. In a clamp truck, the combination of a 7 [plate having grooves therein; carrier slides v v V mounted in said grooves andprovided with Y means to engage the load to be lifted; an-endless linked chain mounted on the truck ;;means attaching two oppositely moving points of f saidfch'aln to: said carrier slides; a central fixed guide lug; [apairof ratchet levers piv-c otallymounted on. opposite sides of said'lug,

the end of each said lever lying adjacent to said.lugandjprovided with a notch in its l owercorner; ratchet means attached to each said ratchet levers, engaging said chain, and

adapted to actuate it'in opposite directions;

. aswiveltulcrum post; a foot lever mounted 20 thereonythe head of said lever'being adapted to 'pass below saidlug and to entereither of i the notches in said ratchet levers,'said head being held in the notch while in motion by said lug and being adapted to actuate the ratchet lever.

' This 18th day of March; 1982. I OSCAR NORLING.

E 1 v I 

